"We shouldn't have representative tournaments every year at the end of the year": Panthers coach Ivan Cleary. Photo: Wolter Peeters

With the NRL in discussions to formalise a pre-season calendar that is likely to include the Auckland Nines, World Club Challenge and All Stars, Cleary has urged the NRL to reconsider forcing the best players to play deep into November.

While Cleary understands the importance of building the international game, he believes playing a representative tournament at the end of each year is asking too much of the players.

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''I think, personally, we shouldn't have representative tournaments every year at the end of the year,'' Cleary said. ''Maybe a one-off game with Australia and New Zealand straight after the grand final pretty much. Basically, if you are going to have one it needs to finish a lot earlier. It will give people some rest and time to prepare. We're just squeezing the lemon dry. The game is getting harder and we're playing more.''

A lucrative television rights deal will make it difficult for the NRL to shorten the 26-round premiership season. There is also a desire for the game to reap the financial benefits of a formalised pre-season schedule, with a push to transform the World Club Challenge into a six-team tournament, including the best three teams from the NRL and English Super League.

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There is a Four Nations in Australia and New Zealand in October and November this year, with the possibility of the Auckland Nines being played in January next year

because of contractual commitments between Eden Park and the International Cricket Council for the World Cup.

There are also three State of Origin matches, a City-Country Origin match, the Anzac Test and a Pacific nations Test in between.

Cleary said it was about time the welfare of the players was taken into consideration and restricting the number of representative games at the end of the year would provide them with much-needed recovery during the off-season.

''I'm all for structure in the pre-season, but everyone has got to finish a bit earlier,'' he said. ''We can't have all our best players dragging on. You don't want to take away from the international game, but having something every year, I think that takes a little bit away from it.

''It's very hard to expect guys year, on year, on year, to play all the way through, play rep footy then come back.

''We're giving them longer rest but it means they are getting shorter pre-seasons. All our World Cup guys started in January. Some of the clubs had a few World Cup guys come back a few weeks later. It's hard because you want these guys playing trial games, but it's a long year and you don't want those guys getting busted early either.''

While Cleary has backed the Nines concept, he believes clubs should be allowed to take larger squads to reduce the likelihood of injury.

''Certainly that Jarrod Mullen injury would have raised a few eyebrows,'' he said. ''For that to happen these days when everyone is so well prepared with all the monitoring and that sort of stuff … but it's a great event. You need more players over there so you can rotate them a bit more. The last day is too hard, I think.''